BY RANIA RICHARDSON | Service to the community begets more—a truism for several local residents who answered one particular call to action.

On Saturday, August 1, New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (whose area of coverage includes Chelsea) held a “Council District 3 Clean-Up Day” for 10 areas within his purview, from Churchill Square Park in the West Village to 51st St. and Ninth Ave. in Hell’s Kitchen.

To meet residents and gain their perspective on the day’s activity, Chelsea Community News visited three of those participants within the boundaries of our namesake neighborhood—the West 200 Block Association, the West 23rd/West 24th Street Block Association, and the Elliott-Chelsea Houses Tenant Association.

With tools and equipment provided by the NYC Department of Sanitation, volunteers were armed and ready for the 10am start time. For many, this was just one example of their community engagement.

On W. 22nd St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves., Melodie Bryant wore a colorful polka dot mask as she swept under parked cars and collected piles of debris to toss. A resident and a member of Chelsea’s West 200 Block Association, she is not only vigilant in keeping the street clean, Bryant is also one of the residents of that block taking the initiative to make their participation in the city’s Open Streets program a success.

Every day at 8am, she positions the barricades that block through traffic, creating an auto-free zone accessible to parents, kids, joggers, bicyclists, dog walkers, and pedestrians. At 8pm, when Open Streets are closed for the day, she removes the barricades.

How does she have the time for all this? “It’s not like I have a social life anymore,” she said, laughing. “This is how to build community and meet people.”

Jonah Chasin, masked and dressed in black, swept the adjacent sidewalk. He works at a school in Harlem and is now running a food bank there. He is also busy painting the exterior of his nearby co-op building.

Teaming up on the same block, Mary Kelly and Andrea Weiss, who live nearby, shoveled garbage into trash bags. Both are attentive to mask-wearing and social distancing (as were all other participants observed that day).

“People who volunteer tend to be mindful,” noted Weiss, who said she hoped more folks would have shown up, although it appeared that there were enough to finish the job on the block.

Before getting to work sprucing up the area, volunteers did a walk-through of the grounds of the NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) Elliott Houses and Chelsea Houses, btw. W. 25th & W. 27th Sts. and Ninth & 10th Aves., known collectively as Elliott-Chelsea Houses. The group, led by Tenant Association President Darlene Waters, then targeted specific sections that needed cleaning, such as the biggest yard, with its playground, benches, and open space.

The contingent included the help of some from ACE (Association of Community Employment Programs for the Homeless), which, their website notes, “works with homeless men and women throughout New York City, providing job training, work experience, and a lifetime support network to help our program participants achieve their goals and establish economic independence.”

On the day of our visit, there were seven folks clearing debris—but that’s not the only service Waters and some of the others provide. Since the pandemic, they have been delivering food to those in need, and checking in on senior citizens in the area.

“We’re a small group, but we deliver a lot,” said Waters.

Over on W. 23rd St., btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves., Lisa Birnbaum and Geovanny Guaraca, who live a few streets north, were busy supporting the West 23rd/West 24th Street Block Association, with dustpan and broom in action. A friend had passed along Speaker Johnson’s email announcement earlier that morning, and it inspired the two proud Chelsea residents to respond.

“This neighborhood is a fantastic mix, with affordable housing and diversity,” said Birnbaum.

“And we wanted to help out a little bit,” added Guaraca.

Across the avenue, two father-daughter teams from Penn South joined forces. Pete Hayes and daughter Ruby Hayes, and Josh Belknap and daughter Eloise Belknap, turned the event into a social gathering, with civic training for the youngsters.

The girls were motivated to participate. Eleven-year-old Ruby said she hoped to get a group of kids together at another time, to clean up the neighborhood.

Both dads are fans of Speaker Johnson. Hayes praised him as “the future mayor of New York.” Belknap said he appreciated how accessible and connected to the community he is.

Rock and roll drummers, the two men have seen gigs dry up during the pandemic.

Eloise, who will turn eight in mid-August, still likes her namesake character from Hilary Knight’s children’s books, but said, “They’re really for littler kids.” She thought today’s activity was important, noting, “If no one cleaned up Chelsea, it would be a giant dumpster.”

A burgeoning role model for us all, Ruby added, “When I have trash, I hold it until I get home.”

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